The present disclosure relates to localized patient supports that attach to surgical tables or surgical accessory frames and that are configured to support a patient during surgery, such as, for example, spinal surgery. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to controlling the variables that affect the integrity of the skin of a patient supported on localized patient supports over extended periods during relatively long surgeries.
The variables that affect the integrity of a patient's skin are of concern in hospitals and health care facilities around the world. Some examples of such variables are pressure, temperature, moisture, circulation, and skin shear. Lack of management in these areas can lead to lesions, pressure ulcers, nerve damage, and destruction of tissue. Some hospital beds may provide for management of these issues. However, many times the damage to the skin or tissue may be initiated in the operating room (“OR”) where the surgeries may last more than two hours. During the long surgeries (lasting over 2 hours), such as spine, cardiovascular and hip replacement surgeries, the contact areas between the patient and the patient supports may create extreme conditions that may lead to skin breakdown and tissue damage.
Patients are typically positioned in prone, supine, or lateral positions during such surgeries. For example, during spine surgeries, patients are typically supported in prone positions over the pelvis and the chest areas while allowing the abdomen to hang free. This creates localized areas of high contact pressure on an immobile patient for a duration that is typically over 6 hours. Also, in such surgeries that extend over long periods of time, the staff may have a tendency to lean a little more heavily on the patient, which enhances the pressure concerns.